TAKE A DEEP BREATH

Mike Maher
  • 4.8 (76)
  • Alternative Health

An entire podcast dedicated to Breathwork, Breathing, and The Power of Your Breath. Join Mike Maher as he talks to the worlds leading experts, scientists, yoga instructors, and explorers of this thing we call The Breath.

  1. Jul 31

    #134: Nikolina Lauc: Biological Age Expert: This Test Predicts How Long You'll Live

    Curious about your own biological age? You can take the same GlycanAge test I did in this episode and save with our exclusive 10% discount using the link below. https://glycanage.com/shop?discount=TADB In this episode, I sit down with Nicolina Lauc, co-founder of GlycanAge, to explore what your biological age can reveal about your health, stress levels and future longevity. We discuss why some people age faster than others, how chronic stress changes the body, my own GlycanAge results, and the simple habits that may help you live a longer, healthier life. If you're interested in longevity, stress, breathwork or optimising your health, you'll enjoy this conversation. 00:00 Why Your Real Age Isn't Your Birthday 00:55 Meet GlycanAge & Biological Age Testing 05:17 What Is Inflammation, Really? 07:00 Are Telomeres Actually the Best Age Test? 11:12 What Speeds Up Biological Age? 13:19 ADHD, Stress & Living Longer 18:19 Mike's GlycanAge Test Results 23:48 What Your Glycan Results Really Mean 28:37 Sleep, Stress & VO₂ Max 32:28 The Biggest Things That Slow Ageing 36:54 Health Anxiety & Biohacking 40:39 Childhood Trauma & Biological Age 44:33 Breathwork, PTSD & Healing 47:42 Can Breathing Slow Ageing? 52:41 Nature, EMFs & Modern Living 54:48 Blue Zones & Why Some People Live Longer 1:01:40 Is Lung Capacity the Best Predictor of Longevity? 1:02:42 The Best Anti-Inflammatory Diet 1:07:36 PTSD, Hypervigilance & Sleep 1:11:44 How to Get Your Biological Age Tested 1:13:39 Final Thoughts

  2. Jul 17

    #133 Meditation Expert: Why Your Mind Won't Shut Up | Ariel Garten, Muse Co Founder

    In today's episode, we welcome back Ariel Garten, co-founder of Muse. Ariel is a neuroscientist and former psychotherapist whose brain-sensing technology is used by NASA, the Mayo Clinic, and hundreds of thousands of everyday meditators worldwide. In this conversation, we discuss why meditation feels so hard to stick with, what's actually happening in your brain during those first few weeks of practice, and how to teach even young kids to self-regulate with their breath. We also get into why silence can feel so uncomfortable, whether you can trust your own thoughts, and Ariel's take on using meditation to sit with physical pain rather than fight it. Want to try Muse? It's a headband that reads your brain activity in real time while you meditate, so instead of guessing whether you're doing it right, you get instant feedback that guides you back to focus. Get 15% off Muse at https://choosemuse.com/tadb 0:00 – The Problem With Meditation 3:07 – What Meditation Does To Your Brain 5:23 – Muse vs Meditating Alone 8:09 – Teaching Kids To Meditate 13:10 – The Fear Of Silence 16:15 – Does Location Matter? 17:47 – Can You Trust Your Thoughts? 20:42 – Talking Back To Your Inner Critic 23:05 – Sitting Still vs Walking Meditation 26:20 – Meditation In A Crisis 28:21 – Is Pain Good Or Bad? 36:28 – How Muse Improves Your Sleep Want to try Muse? It's a headband that reads your brain activity in real time while you meditate, so instead of guessing whether you're doing it right, you get instant feedback that guides you back to focus. Get 15% off Muse at https://choosemuse.com/tadb

  3. Mar 31

    #132 The Coffee Expert: This Is Why Your Coffee Is Making You Anxious

    Get The Best Night's Sleep with RA Optics, use this link to get 10% off: https://www.raoptics.com/TADB10 FREE RESOURCES: 🎁 Download My Free Audio Breathwork Bundle here: https://ra.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/mp3 🎁  Access My Free 7 Day Breathwork Course https://ra.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/burnoutreset PAID RESOURCES: 🫁 Work with me directly to fix stress, exhaustion & tension https://go.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/121/ Is your morning coffee quietly destroying your health or is it actually a superfood? Today's guest is Alex from Exhale Coffee, a coffee and caffeine expert who is here to set the record straight. We cover everything from polyphenols and brain health, to the shocking truth about decaf, why instant coffee might be the worst thing in your kitchen, and the exact brewing method that gets you the most out of every cup. This one will completely change how you think about your daily brew. Learn more about Exhale Coffee here: https://exhalecoffee.com/ Chapters: 0:00 Is coffee actually a superfood? Meet Alex from Exhale Coffee 0:58 The parasympathetic side of coffee why it's not all fight or flight 2:26 Coffee is not bad for us. We're bad for coffee. 3:01 Polyphenols what they are, why they matter & the 31x brand difference 5:14 The health benefits of polyphenols Alzheimer's, heart disease & more 6:45 The dark truth about decaf — paint stripper, chemicals & what to look for 10:59 Instant coffee ultra processed, mycotoxins & why it's the worst offender 13:44 When to have your first coffee & the Andrew Huberman debate debunked 17:27 Electrolytes, morning routines & stop wasting money on fancy sachets 19:32 The best brewing method for maximum health benefits (backed by lab tests) 24:12 Caffeine half life, sleep, performance dosing & when to stop for the day 33:35 Should you cycle off caffeine? Cognitive benefits & brain health deep dive 47:13 The mindful coffee ritual & why slowing down changes everything 54:54 Mushroom coffee, AG1 & why good quality coffee beats all the supplements

  4. Feb 17

    #131 Patrick from Alveos - Breathing Rate Matters & How To Track It

    Today’s guest is Patrick, co-founder of Alveo, a new chest-worn breathing wearable designed to track breath rate variability (BRV) and nervous system state in real time. In this conversation, we explore the future of breathwork, wearables, and nervous system regulation and why breathing data may be the missing piece in modern health tech. Learn more and support this project on Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alveos/alveos-one-wearable-that-listens-to-your-breath Chapters: 0:00 BRV explained - the breathing metric no one’s talking about 3:21 HRV vs BRV - what your nervous system is really telling you 5:31 Can breathwork actually train BRV long term? 9:18 The chest wearable - how it works (and why it’s different) 12:30 Why breathing data beats most wearables 17:23 The future: real-time breath coaching + nervous system AI 24:56 Why this device was built (asthma, breathwork & tech) 32:26 Can breathing tech detect illness early? 36:28 The university validation study (what they’re testing) 41:14 Breathing under stress, load & real life 48:17 Breathing as the “4th pillar” of health 53:46 What the app will actually do for you 57:44 Are humans breathing faster over time? 1:02:15 Pricing, Kickstarter & subscriptions explained 1:07:15 Final insight: don’t use breathwork to avoid emotions

  5. 12/26/2025

    #130 - Lotte Paarup: The Fascia Expert: You Can’t Calm a Body That Feels Unsafe

    If you feel tight, stuck, or like breathwork isn’t fully helping, Lotte and Mike are running a live 4-week fascia release program starting January 11th to help you unlock your body and breathe more freely. Limited spaces - learn more here: https://ra.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/fascia In this episode, Mike sits down again with Lotte Paarup, a leading fascia and breathwork educator, to explore how the fascial system shapes your breathing, stress levels, and how safe your body feels. You’ll learn why breathwork alone often isn’t enough and how releasing the body can unlock easier breathing, movement, and calm.  Chapters: 0:00 Why Fascia Matters More Than You Think 2:21 How Your Feet, Jaw & Lungs Are Connected 3:40 What Happens When Fascia Gets Stiff 6:54 Why Your Body Needs to Feel Safe to Breathe 9:37 Are There Key Fascia Pathways in the Body? 11:53 How Stress Physically Tightens the Body 15:04 Why You Can’t Think Your Way Out of Tightness 18:33 Why Daily Fascia Work Beats Weekly Treatments 22:43 Why Breathing Fails When the Body Is Stiff 26:49 What Actually Happens During Fascia Release 33:42 Is Fascia Work Ever “Finished”? 37:05 Why Movement Is Essential for Fascia Health 43:20 The Psoas, Fear & the Survival System 53:20 Can Breathwork Help Release Fascia?

  6. 11/26/2025

    #129 Ariel Garten - Why Proper Meditation Feels Different

    Learn more about muse here; https://choosemuse.com/tadb Chapters: 0:00 Welcome to Take a Deep Breath 0:49 Why a Neuroscientist Couldn't Meditate 2:03 The Real Reasons People Struggle with Meditation 2:54 What IS Meditation? Science Explained 4:06 Game-Changing Benefits You'll Actually Notice 5:53 The Minimum Effective Dose for Results 7:05 Serial Meditation Failures Unite 7:29 How Muse Tracks Your Brain in Real-Time 9:03 What Are You Actually Doing When Meditating? 10:44 Focus on Breath or Let Thoughts Pass? 12:40 How to Change Your Relationship with Emotions 13:20 Breath Awareness vs Breath Work in Meditation 15:23 Body-Led Meditation Deep Dive 16:33 Dropping Into Your Body & Out of Your Mind 18:28 The Truth About Pain & Secondary Suffering 19:51 NASA's Mars Meditation Experiments 21:58 How Muse Transformed Sleep Science 24:29 The Digital Sleeping Pill That Actually Works 25:54 Deep Sleep Stimulation Breakthrough 28:30 How Much Deep Sleep Do You Really Need? 30:31 Avoid This Common Sleep Mistake 31:27 Mental Fitness vs Physical Fitness 33:33 How to Measure Your Mental Fitness 34:31 Oxygen Flow to Your Brain Explained 36:42 Training Your Brain to Demand More Oxygen 38:40 Breath Work Meets Brain Tracking 41:02 Best Time to Meditate (Honest Answer) 43:16 Eyes Open vs Eyes Closed Meditation 45:35 Lying Down vs Sitting Meditation 47:14 You Are More Wonderful Than You Think 48:26 Final Thanks & Discount Code

  7. 11/12/2025

    #128 Anjani Teves - The Diaphragm Expert: Congested Lymph Is Why You're So Stiff

    🔥 Feeling burned out? My 7-Day Burnout Reset Course (usually $97) is FREE for a limited time → https://ra.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/burnoutreset Today's guest is Dr. Anjani Teeves, an osteopathic physician and diaphragm expert. We talk about why stiffness is actually stagnant lymph, how your diaphragm controls 90% of circulation, why you're only using 25% of your breathing capacity, the 74 diaphragms in your body, and how to fix your breathing to transform your health instantly. Chapters; 0:00 Introduction: The Diaphragm Expert 0:29 How Childhood Tickling Led to Breath Mastery 2:58 Discovering Breath as a Superpower 4:36 Why Chronic Illness Patients All Have Poor Breathing 7:33 What is the Thoracic Diaphragm? 8:48 Anatomy: How the Diaphragm Attaches to Your Spine 12:21 How Muscles Contract and Relax 13:47 The Diaphragm as a Pump for Air and Fluid 16:30 Can You Strengthen the Diaphragm Like a Bicep? 19:21 Why Stiffness is Actually Lymphatic Congestion 22:09 The Diaphragm Controls Circulation More Than Your Heart 23:12 Understanding Lymph and Why It Matters 26:41 What Happens When Lymph Gets Stuck 30:29 Everything Congested With Lymph Gets Stiff 31:46 How the Diaphragm Affects Heart Health 35:00 The Pericardium and Why Your Heart Needs to Spiral 40:13 What Happens When the Heart Can't Move Properly 43:51 The Best Exercise You Can Do Right Now 46:08 Most of Your Diaphragm is on Your Back 48:38 Better Fluid Motion is Better Physiology 49:49 Why Sitting Up Straight Actually Hurts Your Breathing 53:03 The Key: Finding the Transition Point on Your Sit Bones 55:12 How to Start Using Your Full Diaphragm 58:38 Why Your Hips Get Tight When You Don't Breathe Well 1:00:23 The Body Has 74+ Diaphragms That All Work Together 1:04:45 Every Major Joint Has Its Own Diaphragm 1:05:56 The Extraordinary Capacities of Diaphragms 1:08:45 Quick Tips to Reduce Stiffness and Move Lymph 1:11:26 The Full Body Expansion Technique 1:13:58 Using the Hydraulic System to Move Better 1:15:44 Why Your Muscles Stay Tight to Protect Your Organs 1:18:28 Final Thoughts and Next Steps

  8. 10/28/2025

    #127 Tiger Bye Returns to talk about Yoga & Breath Science

    Discover The Breathwork Reset Method™ a proven 5-week system to boost energy, calm your mind, and sharpen focus from the inside out. 🌬️ We kick off on November 2nd (spots are limited) Learn more here: https://ra.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/reset-live Today's returning guest is About Tiger. Tiger is a highly qualified breath educator and yoga instructor with certifications from the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, the Katonah Yoga Center, and Oxygen Advantage®. - Connect with Tiger: https://www.tigerbye.com/ - Tiger's upcoming  training here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/breathe-better-master-your-breath Chapters: 0:00 How to Use Breath to Cool Down 2:17 The Secret of Cadence Breathing 2:36 Satali: The Cooling Tongue Breath 4:14 Why Ujjayi Breath Heats You Up 5:23 Does Satali Actually Lower Body Temperature? 8:01 The Right Way to Do Ujjayi Breath 12:27 Three-Part Breath & Shoulder Dysfunction 22:26 Mind-to-Muscle Connection in Breathing 22:54 Taking Breathwork Off the Mat 28:31 Yoga vs Chiropractor: What You Need 36:40 Desk Worker's Guide to Staying Mobile 42:09 Why Your Hamstrings Are Always Tight 51:18 Building Habits That Actually Stick

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4.8
out of 5
76 Ratings

About

An entire podcast dedicated to Breathwork, Breathing, and The Power of Your Breath. Join Mike Maher as he talks to the worlds leading experts, scientists, yoga instructors, and explorers of this thing we call The Breath.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Maher
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    135
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 TAKE A DEEP BREATH
  • Show Website
    TAKE A DEEP BREATH

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